Re-energise, Shape up and Kick Start Your Healthy New Year

So here we are eh? Despite promising that we wouldn’t lose the run of ourselves yet again at Christmas, and despite those well intentioned vows to show at least some self-restraint when yet another box of sweets passed by our noses as we lounged by the fire, the Christmas spirit simply took hold and sure what could we do!?

But the good news is we’re all in the same boat because Christmas is all about over-indulgence: sure if it wasn’t then we wouldn’t look forward to it for months on end.

So take a deep breath and worry not because we are where we always are early in New Year: back to work and early starts, back to feeling sluggish and tired, and back to the January blues at the thought of no more treats for a whole month as we embrace ‘drynuary’- or dry January in all its forms. And although it’s always difficult getting back to normal life again, doing so is actually good for us, not just in terms of our mental health, but in terms of our physical well being. Fad diets are not the answer, sensible healthy eating is!

The key to banishing the Christmas blues is not to rush to the comforting arms of the latest fad diet that claims to work by cutting out this, that, and the other, forcing you to live on a diet of fruit and nuts, with many even skipping the most important meal of the day- breakfast. Instead, a much better and more prudent approach is simply to get back to eating healthy, natural and wholesome food again: not only will this help give your body the nutrition it has been sadly lacking over the past month, but more importantly it will also help you to manage your weight in a way that will work in the long term.

Start with healthy nutritious oats. Porridge is the perfect breakfast to enjoy and start the day with, simply heat for 2-3 minutes on hob or microwave and before you know it you have a healthy, warming and nutritious breakfast. And, porridge is the perfect base to super boost with your favourite toppings for extra protein or fibre. Oats are wonderfully versatile and the perfect base for mixing up your weekly breakfast, from mueslis and granolas to overnight oats and smoothies. You’ll never get bored. Because you know what, as the following top 5 health benefits show, oats are an incredibly nutritious source of natural goodness that can benefit your body in so many ways:

1. Supports healthy weight loss

Oats have what is known as a ‘low glycaemic index’, which means glucose is released into the blood stream slowly and evenly throughout the day, helping to avoid the temptation of sugary snacks which is good for managing weight.

In addition, oats is a low density food which means that we can eat more of it and still consume fewer calories. A hearty and filling bowl of porridge contains only 148 calories.

2. Rich in nutrients, enhancing your immune system

Oats are a natural super-food which means that, in addition to being nutritious, they also offer the body a number of distinct health benefits. Oats because they contain 100% wholegrain are good sources of nutrients such as protein, fibre, vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc antioxidants and phytochemicals - a powerhouse package of nutrients which supports optimum immune function and helps keep winter bugs at bay.

3. Improves digestion, gut health and wellbeing

Fibre is an important component of whole grain, but we need the whole package of nutrients working together in whole grains to really feel the full benefits. Because whole grains have 4 times the amount of fibre as refined grains, they are a vital nutrient in the context of helping to maintain our digestive health.

Oh and one other thing too: porridge provides two servings of whole grain, which represents 66% of the daily recommended amount!

4. Great for your mood and your skin!

Oats contain a host of natural vitamins and mineral. They are rich in vitamin B6 which is needed to produce serotonin (‘the happy hormone’ that helps us feel good!). They are also a wonderful source of magnesium, for restoring a healthy glowing skin.

5. Excellent source of good carbohydrates (because not all carbs are bad!)

Carbohydrates get a lot of bad press and many fad diets are still based around removing all carbs, both good and bad, from your diet. This is a bit like throwing the baby out with the bath water because the fact is that carbohydrates are still one of our major food groups, vital for giving us energy and not all carbs are bad!